Graziano da Silva and the newly appointed minister reviewed the longstanding cooperation between FAO and Tunisia and discussed the Country Programming Framework signed in 2013.

“I was very pleased to see the rich discussions and many proposals for initiatives at the conference,” Minister Lachâal said referring to the 24-28 February Regional Conference for the Near East that took place at FAO.

The Minister noted with satisfaction that Tunisia is taking part in all three of the regional initiatives for the Near East and North Africa which FAO has launched in response to priorities identified by Member States: the Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity, the Regional Initiative on Building Resilience to Enhance Food Security and Nutrition, and the Regional Initiative on Small-scale Agriculture and Inclusive Rural Development.

“FAO is a very strong partner and we count on its support,” the Minister added.

Both principals reviewed the ongoing preparations of the 28th FAO Regional Conference for Africa to be held in Tunisia from 24 to 28 March 2014.

The Director-General thanked the Minister’s hospitality in hosting this upcoming conference, which will place special emphasis on African youth in agribusiness and rural development.